Fig Butter

This was an unexpected surprise! I was originally trying to add more fiber to the Poopinator Plus because we are still waiting on a referral to UCLA Children’s Hospital for a more in depth motility. I also thought it would help his weight loss issue due his currently very limited diet. Sadly the fig gave him too much gas so I had to pull it out. But, as always, I try all of his blends to make sure they taste good and this was amazing! So far, with only 2 calorie dense ingredients an zero prep time this is by far the easiest, highest fiber calorie booster I have made to date.

Ingredients

Directions

Place the ingredients to the 32oz Vitamix container in the order listed and secure lid.

Let sit for 20 minutes to soften the figs.

Select Variable 1.

Turn machine on and quickly increase speed to Variable 10, then to High.

Blend until completely smooth (approximately 1-2 minutes), using the tamper to press the ingredients into the blades.

Frozen Fig Butter

Food Tips: This recipe packs 56.8 calories per 1 ounce serving. That makes it a good calorie booster without added sugars and/or syrup. Because it’s important for oral eaters, I always taste my recipes. This tastes amazing on toast (as seen in the picture). By itself it’s pretty sweet but added to other pureed dessert or snack recipes, I think it would tastes great.

Time tip: Freeze this butter in ice cube trays then pop them out into freezer bags for easy storage and quick defrost.

Money Tip: As with most of my ingredients, the figs and hemp seed are best purchased at a bulk food store like Winco. The prices are always much lower and you can by just what you need so there’s no waste.

One thing about fresh coconut milk: It only lasts about 4-5 days in the refrigerator. So once you make it , you will want to get the most out of your fresh batch before you have to freeze what’s left. Since I already have the chia seeds out when I’m making Matt’s oatmeal, I always make some chia seed pudding. This is one of my favorite snacks and it’s easy to make.

2 Tablespoons of Chia seeds

1/2-2/3 cup of fresh coconut milk

Directions:

Put the Chia seeds in a small mason jar. Add the coconut milk and stir until they begin to absorb enough of the milk to be suspended. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. The Chia seed pudding is good for about 4 days but, I guarantee that it won’t last that long. Enjoy! Makes 2 servings.

Food Tip: This snack is high in protein but also high in fat. Eat it sparingly especially if you are making your own coconut milk.

Time Tip: Freeze the coconut meat in 6oz portions. When it’s time to make your milk just defrost and blend.

Money Tip: Coconuts are not that expensive. They tend to run about $2 but the price drops around Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I whipped this up after a trip to the gym with my husband. He tasted it and loved it. He suggested I add a bit of nutmeg to it and use it as a replacement for eggnog during the the holidays. That’s saying something because he REALLY loves eggnog. He might just have something there. Keep your eye on my blog during the holidays. You never know. But for now:

1. Place all ingredients into the Vitamix in the order listed and secure lid.
2. Select Variable 1.
3. Turn machine on and increase to Variable 10, then High.
4. Blend for 30 seconds or until the desired consistency is reached.

Food Tip: This recipe makes 2 cups and contains 26 grams of protein. It is great as a post workout meal replacement. For individuals on a pureed diet or as a healthy snack, remove the whey protein and use as two 8oz servings. It’s thick enough to be eaten with a spoon even though you can drink it through a straw. The yellow squash adds vitamins and antioxidants and is very low in calories. It has a mild flavor so it blends well in any smoothie while adding to the creamy texture.

Money Tip: Yellow squash in season is very inexpensive but I prefer to grow my own because it’s fresh AND it’s free! As I have said in my fresh fruit puree entry, buying mangos in bulk when they are in season, pureeing them and freezing them is an excellent way to save money. flax seed is less expensive when buying it from a bulk food store plus you only buy what you need so it doesn’t go bad.

Time Tip: This smoothie only takes about 5 minutes to prepare and using the individual pureed fruit cubes shortens the time even more.